Cheap Conveyancing, is it a con?

Cheap Conveyancing? Does it really exist? Or is it a con?

We would never recommend simply picking your Conveyancing Solicitors because they are cheap.  We say this because we recently received this telephone call from somebody to whom we had given a quote but she went elsewhere.  And what did she think of the experience:

“I picked purely on price and I am now regretting choosing the firm.  I am never able to speak to a human.  I have no idea what stage my purchase is up to other than contracts came in a few weeks ago.”

This got us into thinking about Solicitors conveyancing services online so with a few clicks of the mouse found a firm “basic legal fee for a Purchase Transaction £229 plus VAT!!” At that price we thought there has to be a catch and sure enough there is.  Or should we say there are because to the uninitiated sign up with this competitor and potentially you’re in for a very expensive time.

If you are buying with a mortgage add on £55.00.

To tell the Revenue about the property transaction as would cover probably 99% of the time add on £75.00.

And to send money electronically which again is standard add on £40.00 each electronic transfer.

So in the blink of an eye add on £170 so the real price is £399!!!

And now add in the other £32.00 you get told about so the running total is £431. VAT at 20% can’t be avoided so add in another £86.00

This fixed price conveyancing isn’t really fixed price Conveyancing at all.  And the cheap Conveyancing Solicitors you thought you were getting are rapidly proving not to be that cheap.

Being used to reading documentation a couple of pages of terms and conditions in small print have never put us off so it seemed sensible to see what potential additional legal costs could be hidden away.

Be warned. There are plenty!

If you want to see a copy of your conveyancing searches — yep those conveyancing searches that you have already paid for – dig deeper into your pocket as a fee of £30.00 will be charged.  £30.00 for photocopying and sending you documents that you own because you’ve paid for them!!! Wow.  That is inventive!!!!

Then the small print gets even more confusing.  You have to pay £20.00 (at least VAT is included) for your online Conveyancing Solicitors to do their job and tell you whether additional searches are required.  And if you don’t want the service you have to tell them.

How would you know?

• If this cheap conveyancing firm needs to check buildings and contents insurance additional charge £35.00 MINIMUM……
• If the property is leasehold add £150 plus VAT……
• If a title is unregistered add up to £25.00 plus VAT…..
• If you bought at auction add £100 plus VAT…..

these conveyancing prices just keep on going…..

• if you exchange contracts and complete the transaction within five working days – lots of customers want this — you might well get hit for £100 plus VAT……
• If you’ve got adult kids who are occupiers they need to give consent so add £50.00 plus VAT per kid…..
• And when the whole job is done and dusted and you want evidence that the job has been done add £43.00 plus VAT…..
• And storage of your file £43.00 plus VAT

We asked you at the beginning is Cheap Conveyancing a con?

If this is typical of pricing then yes.  With Levins Solicitors, we automatically send you free of charge your conveyancing searches in paper form so with us you’ve saved £30.00.

We will advise you regarding additional searches that are necessary but you won’t have to pay £20.00 VAT included for us to do what you are already paying us to do so we’ve saved you another £20.

We’ll save you £35.00 minimum because we check your buildings insurance….  If you’ve got two kids living at home over 17 you will save £100….  we will provide evidence that you are registered as you must be and that will save you £43.00 and store your files and save you another £43.00.

If you want cheap conveyancing and want to pick purely on price and have no idea what’s happening please go to our competitors.

If you have a written quote you might want to let us see (and the small print) so that you can compare and you might be pleasantly surprised at £100’s of pounds saved by using us.

30 years’ conveyancing experience isn’t to be sniffed at.